Imperial Palace and East Gardens

The map of Tokyo city showed a big patch of green right in the middle of the city. And now that we were roaming around in that part we knew exactly why! We were somewhere in the heart of the city and
everywhere we saw - the Hibiya garden, the pathways we walked on and the
destinations we were led to - our eyes saw thick blankets of green adding
charm to the already beautiful Tokyo!

The pedestrian walk lined with trees and view of the water

View while walking towards the Imperial Palace East Gardens

Imperial Palace East Gardens

A short walk from the Hibiya Gardens, we found our next spot - the Imperial Palace East Gardens - more carefree and a bit more peaceful than the Hibiya.

Entrance to the Imperial East Garden

At the entrance of the garden stood a majestic statue in honor of the great samurai warrior - Kusunoki Masashige who fought many a great samurai battles for Japan’s Emperor in the early 14 century.

Kusunoki Masashige – the great samurai warrior, shown riding a horse.

Open for the general public for free, people were simply relaxing in the gardens or taking their children on joyful pram rides.

Imperial Palace East Garden

Tired
by now, we sat down on the soft green grass and took out some time to
relax. Nearby, a small girl was running around busy playing with her
younger
brother, rolling out chirpy laughters in the air. I casually waved to her and she returned a cute grin back.

Cute kids - our friends!

That was the beginning of a sweet, short and simple language-barrier free friendship lasting for the next half an hour or so. Batteries fully recharged, we bid good byes and exited the garden to walk straight into the Imperial Palace.

Imperial Palace/Nijubashi

I saw the entire setting of the Imperial Palace as something that I had always seen in fairy tale books - a massive moat with still waters creating wavy ripples in it, the towering walls around it, a stone bridge standing above and... in the background, mounted on a hillock surrounded by lush woods and grass with various flowers adding color - the elegant Imperial Palace.

A long view of the Imperial Palace with the stone bridge at the entrance

Formerly known as the Edo Castle from where the Shogunate (governing officer) had ruled the country for over 250 years, today the Imperial palace is home to the Emperor of the country and the Imperial family and remains closed for general viewing.

Imperial Palace - The Royal Residence

But much of its surrounding property is free for you to roam around all through the year and just have a good time in the peace of nature.

The vast open premises of the Imperial Palace

After covering quite a chunk of green from our Tokyo city map on foot, it was time now to head back to our hotel room and take some much needed rest but the day was far from over as yet. The night would see us out onto the streets again, to meet this bubbly city dressed in its evening gown...

65 comments:

What a delightful looking, lovely garden, Arti! Your photos are terrific as always -- the next best thing to being there! Thanks for sharing the day! Hope you had a good weekend and that you have a great week ahead!

This post makes me recall my first day at Japan (have visited it as a part of JENESYS student exchange program) when we were taken to the Imperial Palace. I did not really bother to know the names of places and of the great men cast in metal and stone. The photos here make me realize that this was the place. A travel blogger definitely stands apart from other visitors inquiring and gathering information. :-)

Hello, Arti. Thanks for reminding me of Japanese history. Yes, Kusunoki Masashige was very loyal to the emperor and fought for him in 14th century. In my hometown Kobe, there is also his statue at Minatogawa Shrine, we have affectionately called him Nanko-san. There seem to be much more green in Tokyo than I had thought. Look forward to the next place.

I've truly enjoyed this and the previous post strolling through the garden. what fantastic photos - capturing the essence of the days you've spent there. thanks for including the history of these spots. and thanks for sharing this adventure with us. happy week to you Arti. always a pleasure.

Nothing more wonderful in such a big city then finding a park filled with green in it. A place to find quiet from the fast pace of city life. Another wonderful journey you are leading us on. Hugs Carrie

We loved the Imperial Palace and East Gardens. Looks like you didn't get lost like we did :) It's amazing how well-maintained and beautiful the gardens were amidst the skyscrapers. We hope to get to go inside the palace next time.

A garden right in the center of the city! That's really great and wonderful planning too. Loved the pic with the 2 kids.. Even though Japan went through catastrophic incidents in the past and present, they still know how to maintain this country! Something for us to learn..

Arti,OH, Kusunoki Masashige!! He was my hero when I was a little child. I do not know how many books on him I read and how many movies about him I saw. He has been admired as the symbol of Samurai spirit.He was dedicated all his life to the emperor and his son also followed his father.Thanks a lot for taking me to my good old days!!keiko

@cocomino Is it not somewhere towards the middle of the city? Please do correct me if I am wrong and I will make the changes. :)

@Rakesh kumar Ji I have edited the post with the price list in Indian Rupees as you had asked for. Please have a look and let me know if you require anything else.

@stardust @snowwhite Thanks for the additional bit of info. It was very interesting to know! A statue built in honor very near to the entrance very beautifully reflects the warrior, Kusunoki Masashige's loyalty.

This post brought back lot of fond memories. I was struck by the greenery around the Imperial Palace premises, i mean this was bang in the middle of a city like Tokyo. You have perfectly described how even i felt, the first time i set my eyes on the lake, the stone bridge and the castle:) how i wish they allowed people to take a peek inside. The gravelly path leading upto the palace gates, the cool climate, and acres and acres of open space was magical in a city.

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My Yatra Diary...

Hi there! I am Arti - constantly on the road, both figuratively and literally, unwrapping my unique gift called life. My blog, which focuses on spiritual journeys, is all about my love of sharing, exploring and learning; a continuous journey where I strive to seek the truth, discover myself, the world, my place therein and experience the real treasures of life along the way. I hope to help those planning to make a trip to these places or simply provide a virtual tour to the rest.
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